


Echoes

by timelords_wizards_winchesters



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dimension-Hopping Rose, F/M, I keep writing about sad Eleven I'm so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 07:29:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12502084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timelords_wizards_winchesters/pseuds/timelords_wizards_winchesters
Summary: A video message pops up on the screen in the console room. An old message, scattered through time and space, from a mysterious blonde woman in a blue leather jacket.





	Echoes

**Author's Note:**

> For some reason I keep getting inspired to write angsty Eleven/Rose fics so here you go.

Amy Pond loved travelling with the Doctor. She lived for the adventure - it fueled her curiosity, it sparked an excitement that she could never find on Earth. Certainly not in Leadworth. But she did have to admit that adventuring was a bit exhausting. 

The Doctor never seemed to have a problem with this, she noticed. He was constantly bouncing off the walls, rambling on, dragging his companions right along with him. They went from planet to planet, century to century, and never stopped to breathe. So, Amy had to remind him, occasionally, that she and Rory needed a break from the running. A few peaceful days, bits in between the insanity.

Rory liked to relax in the library on peaceful days, and most of the time, Amy would join him. They'd sleep late, cuddle on the couch for a bit, have some supper, and recharge. Some days, though, she liked to drag her husband through the never-ending corridors of the TARDIS, eager to discover new and exciting rooms in the ship. She still hadn't found the infamous swimming pool.

Today, though, was one of the more relaxing days in. Amy had gone exploring in the early afternoon, stumbling upon several new places (an anti-gravity room, a garden with a concerning number of banana trees, and a few small sitting rooms with books stacked on side tables and comfortable couches) but once she'd had her fill of wandering, she met Rory in the galley for tea.

"Where's the Doctor?" Rory asked aloud as he poured steaming liquid into their mugs. He passed Amy the sugar canister, stirring a splash of milk into his own. 

"He likes to do repairs, when we stay in," Amy said. "And he probably hasn't eaten all day. We should bring him something."

"Honestly," Rory grumbled. "He's like a child."

"He's nine hundred, Rory."

"You know what I mean."

The couple made their way toward the console room, Amy with a cup of tea for their alien friend and Rory carrying a whole package of Jammy Dodgers. Sure enough, when they arrived, the Doctor lay on his swing beneath the glass floor, his hangs dug deep in a mess of wires. He looked up at the sound of their footsteps, smiling brightly.

"Hello, Ponds!"

"Hello, Doctor," Amy said. "We brought tea and biscuits."

"Jammy Dodgers?"

Rory rolled his eyes at the Time Lord's excited tone. 

"Yes. And I'm not bringing them down there, so you'd better come up here to get them."

"That's probably best. The TARDIS hates when I get crumbs stuck all over the place, don't you dear?"

The ship hummed with a slightly annoyed affirmation. The Doctor hopped off his swing and bounded up the stairs, gratefully accepting the tea and biscuits from his companions. He plopped down on the jump seat and kicked his feet up onto the edge of the console.

"And I'm sure the TARDIS  _loves_ when you do that," Rory said, raising an eyebrow and leaning on the railing just behind him. Amy moved to stand next to her husband, crossing her arms and smirking. 

"How often do you need to fix the TARDIS anyway?" she asked.

"Well, you know Amy..."

The Doctor began to ramble about the complex inner workings of TARDISes, absentmindedly munching on biscuits and talking with his mouth full, but Amy was suddenly distracted by the flickering of the computer screen in front of her. She and Rory both looked up at it, hanging from the TARDIS rotor, as an image sparked onto the blank screen.

"Doctor," Rory said abruptly, interrupting his lengthy explanation. He gestured toward the screen and pulled it closer to him. "Look, there's a video, it's just started playing."

Sure enough, the face of a beautiful woman was on display. There was no sound, but it was clear enough what she was shouting.  _Doctor_. Long blonde hair framed her face. She had large brown eyes and a wide mouth, and she looked scared. 

"There's a girl, Doctor, she's calling for you," Rory said as the Doctor stood up.

"Do you know her?" Amy asked, almost suspiciously. Honestly, she didn't think the Doctor had any friends, really. Besides herself, Rory, and River.

The Doctor made his way over to them, swinging the screen around to look at it. When he glanced up, the curiosity on his face morphed into something that Amy couldn't quite identify. His jaw slackened slightly, his mouth dropping open in surprise, and he looked like he wanted to say something but the words were caught in his throat. It was only when he cleared his throat and sniffed, pushing the screen away from him and walking away, when she caught on.

"You do know her," she said. He recognized her, the woman, and he was just ignoring her call. "She needs help, Doctor, she's calling for you."

The Doctor looked almost pained when she said that, fumbling with his hands the way he always did when he was nervous.

"It's nothing, Pond. Just an echo - a message sent to the wrong time, that's all." The Doctor's voice was low. He absentmindedly flicked a few switches on the console, refusing to meet her eyes. He looked up again, glancing at the screen, and Amy finally pinpointed what she saw in his eyes. Longing - he was longing for her, this mysterious blonde woman.

"But you know her," Rory stated, looking up at the clip that was playing on a loop. "She's trying to talk to you. She's calling your name."

"I did. Know her. Talk to her. Message received, and all that. She found me, already," the Doctor said, suddenly unable to tear his eyes away from the video. "Lifetimes ago."

Amy could tell from the look on his face that he was remembering. She forgot, sometimes, how old her best friend really was, but these sobering moments were a brutal reminder that he would outlive them all. She suddenly got the sinking feeling that the woman on the screen was dead. Amy looked up into her big brown eyes and bit her lip.

"Who was she?" Amy asked, crossing her arms and narrowing her gaze at the Doctor only slightly. The Time Lord blinked at her and a falsely cheerful smile crossed his face. 

"Really, Amelia, don't worry about it. She's fine. She's wonderful - brilliant." His voice cracked just barely on the last word, but Amy still noticed. She also noticed the distinct use of her full name, which was usually a sign that she was pushing too much and the conversation was over. 

"Doctor - " Rory started to say, but the Doctor braced himself decidedly, taking one last glance at the beautiful woman before pressing the button that shut off the video feed.

"I've got more repairs to finish," he said, with a tone of finality. He glanced over at his mug of tea that had likely gone cold, and the half-finished package of biscuits.  "Thank you for the tea."

It was a dismissal, clear as day. Amy and Rory blinked at him, confused for a moment. 

"Right," Rory said. "Well - we'll see you tomorrow, I suppose. In the morning."

The Doctor nodded, turning his attention to the console. Rory pulled gently on Amy's arm, guiding her up the stairs and into the corridor. Amy looked back at the Doctor, standing slumped at the console. She watched him swing the screen back around so he could sit on the jump seat and look at it. With the flick of a switch, he pulled the video up again. She heard him speak, with quiet fondness, his hand reaching up to rest on the edge of the picture. 

"Rose Tyler," he said. He smiled, just slightly. "Defender of the Earth."


End file.
